Perceptions
by Concordia Nightray
Summary: Perceptions are like snowflakes – no two are the same, no matter how similar some may seem. It's a simple message that no one will ever fully understand.


**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. Period. As stated in my other story, this should be pretty obvious.**

**Rated T for use of profane language, just in case. This is a story of some of my made-up characters. **

**Perceptions**

**Prologue:**

"Why do I have to leave?" The snivy complained loudly, a pouting expression stamped on her features. Much to her annoyance, she received the same answer she had gotten the day before from her mother.

"It is a tradition that must be followed, whether you like it or not," Her mother responded with an exasperated sigh. Of all the traits that her daughter could have inherited, she inherited her stubbornness. "Ryline, all the princesses must leave Arboria when they turn eight months old to train. We've been over this, before." Turning, the queen allowed her crimson gaze to wander to the window. It was a good day to set off on a journey; the sun was out, and from where she stood she could feel a soft, fragrant breeze. "When you return, make sure that you are prepared." At this, the serperior received a questioning look from her daughter. Ah, yes, she had not told her about what to expect when she returned. Well, now was as good a time as ever to tell.

"Ryline," the queen spoke, coiling so that she towered over her daughter. "When you return as a serperior, you must be prepared… to challenge me to a battle for the leadership of Arboria."

The snivy's jaw dropped, and her tail twitched slightly. "But… wait, what the hell?!" How could she possibly hope to even reduce her mother's energy to even half?! This was her mother they were talking about; one of the most fearsome and warrior-like queens that Arboria had seen since the days when her ancestor, Hanalea, ruled. Right now, anyone who had not reached their final evolution stage was committing suicide if they challenged her! "I can't do that! You've _got _to be kidding me!"

"Language," The queen chided, though her expression made it quite obvious that she was amused by her daughter's reaction. "And, no, I am not kidding. I rarely joke about anything. You should know that by now. Do you have any more pointless questions?" When she received only silence, the serperior allowed a smug smile to traverse her face. "Good. Now when you meet the mentor I have selected for you, I expect that you treat her with respe-" She was cut off by the sound of pawsteps at the entrance to her private glade. Directing her attention to the newcomer, a delcatty, an irritated glint appeared in her eyes. "_What_?"

"Er, excuse me for interrupting, Queen Althea," she apologized hastily with a rather sheepish look. "I came to inform you that _she_ has just arrived. She awaits Princess Ryline at the spring." Upon hearing this news, Althea gave the feline an inquisitive look.

"Oh, is that so?" The queen replied, in a somewhat nonchalant tone. "Well… this is a surprise. I thought I told her that I would have someone teleport her to the Verdant Forest."

The delcatty averted her gaze to the floor. "That… is what I told her, Your Majesty. She told me that she decided to come on her own and save you the time and trouble of finding someone who wasn't busy with their normal duties to teleport the princess."

A light laugh escaped the queen, as she shook her head. "Well, I think that she was just getting impatient. She really hasn't changed at all. Tell her that I will send Ryline down there shortly." With new orders, the delcatty then gave the serperior a respectful nod, and proceeded to do as she had instructed.

"So, I guess you're going to make me leave, now."

Glancing back over her shoulder, Althea focused her attention on her daughter, once again. "Ryline, this is for your own good. I can't watch over you and this place forever, you know."

"Yes, but why can't I train here?"

The queen received a glare from the princess, and gave her a fairly straightforward answer. "You need to see the rest of the world. The best time to do that is when you're young. When you take my place, you'll have to stay here. As ruler, I have many responsibilities. I have no time to go out and travel, nowadays, unfortunately."

The princess, knowing that she couldn't win this argument, had no choice but to yield. "… Fine, then. I'll go, but not without having my last question answered."

Althea nodded. "Go ahead and ask."

"Could you keep in touch with me?"

At this, the queen gave her a curious look. Ryline wasn't normally one who would ask such questions. She had always seemed so independent and self-sufficient. "What do you mean?"

"_Mother,_" she prompted in a more impatient tone.

Now she sounded more like the spirited, irascible princess she raised.

"Well… I won't be able to see you personally, but yes, I have my ways of reaching and keeping an eye on you."

The princess narrowed her crimson eyes, slightly, as she thought. Well, as long as she could still reach her mother when she needed to, then everything would be fine, right? Finally, she responded, releasing a sigh. "Fine. I'll go. Is there anything else you wanted me to know?"

"Hm… ah, there was one more thing: make sure you do everything your mentor says. I've known her since I was only a week old; she's incredibly reliable and intelligent. As long as you listen and follow her instructions carefully then I'm sure you won't have any problems." The queen knew her daughter had registered the advice when she responded with a single, curt nod, which she then returned with one of her own.

"Is… that all, mother?"

"… Yes, I believe so." Releasing a long sigh, the queen of Arboria turned her back to her daughter, and stared off into the trees. A faraway look appeared in her crimson eyes, as if she had fallen into a reverie. When she spoke again, her voice sounded somewhat wistful. "Ryline, be strong. Don't limit yourself. Do whatever you want, so long as it is within reason."

Ryline blinked. "Yes, I'll remember that."

The faintest of smiles traversed the queen's features. "Then go. Your mentor – my friend – is waiting for you. Send her my best regards. Goodbye, Ryline. I will see you again." In a split second, the serperior then disappeared into the surrounding woods, leaving her daughter to stare after her.

Flopping down on the mossy ground, the grass snake pokemon then shook her head slowly. _I… can't believe it… _Her train of thought was interrupted, when suddenly, there was a bright flash, forcing the snivy to shut her eyes and turn away. When her vision cleared, Ryline found herself in a tranquil, sunny meadow full of flowers that were splashed with a cool pink, glistening like mother-of-pearl in the sunlight. A river gurgled softly by her feet as the water rolled over stones, creating a soothing atmosphere. Glancing around, she noticed that she appeared to be alone. Rising to her feet, the snivy brushed a couple blades of grass off of herself, and took a few tentative steps forward.

"What…?" Ryline took a glance around. She could tell that she was still in Arboria, however, still far from the mountain glades where she resided. "How in Arceus's name did I get here?" Much to her surprise, a voice, which seemed to come from behind her, responded in a slightly amused tone: "You were teleported here, Ryline. Your mother did tell you that you were going to be trained _away_ from home, if I am not mistaken."

Turning around, the princess of Arboria was greeted by the sight of a fox-like pokemon… a ninetales, perhaps? She had never met one in person, as they weren't common in Arboria.

Narrowing her eyes in a hostile manner, Ryline sprang back. "Who are you, and how do you know me?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised at what I know." The fire-type responded, the ghost of a dry smile forming on her face, her ruby-tinted optics glinting. "I believe you should know the answer to both of those questions. If it's any help at all, I am quite sure that your mother may have mentioned me… multiple times."

"Multiple times? What the hell is that supposed to me-" She stopped herself, as what the ninetales said began to sink in. So… this was the mentor her mother had mentioned?

"You…" The princess muttered, all signs of aggression disappearing from her features. "It's you, isn't it?"

"It depends on what you mean by 'you'," The ninetales replied, slowly approaching on pale, noiseless paws. Ryline noticed that when she moved, her auburn fur shimmered as if it were made of flowing silk. Now, studying her, the princess also noticed that the fire-type appeared to be surrounded by a platinum-gold aura. It was faint at the moment, but she was absolutely certain that it was there.

_Hm, how odd, _The snivy commented silently. _I've never seen any pokemon like this. I wonder if this is what all ninetales' are like. _Tilting her head to the side, the princess spoke. "I meant: are you the mentor that my mother, Queen Althea, sent me to train with?"

"That is correct, Ryline."

At the ninetales' response, Ryline gave her an inquisitive look. It seemed that she wouldn't have to introduce herself. "Well, I apologize for my rudeness. Since you already know my name, would you please tell me yours? I won't know what to call you."

Tossing her head, the fox pokemon smiled and introduced herself in a refined manner. "Apology accepted. My name is _Camilla de Forêt Verdoyante – _Camilla of the Verdant Forest. However, you may simply address me as, 'Camilla'. It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Ryline. I have heard much about you from your mother." With introductions done, the fox pokemon then flicked one of her tails, and turned. "Now then, why don't we get going? The Verdant Forest is a long way from here."

Camilla suddenly turned, and bounded forward, past Ryline. "Come on; we need to make it to the border of Arboria by nightfall."

Ryline didn't need to be told anything twice. In a heartbeat, she was racing after the ninetales, the scenery becoming a colorful blur as she increased her speed. _Well, it looks like this is it. See you, Mother._

Before long, the pair had disappeared over the crest of a hill, bound for a place known as the Crystalline Falls. However, little did they know that someone was already there – waiting for them to come…

(SOMEWHERE IN A CAVE FAR, FAR AWAY…)

"You know, you're really starting to get on my nerves. Believe me; you do _not _want to see me angry. All you have to do is give me the orb, and I, along with the rest, will leave this place and never return. You will never have to see us again. Now, I will ask you once more: _where is the orb_?"

The aggron managed to stand, despite her current battered state. She was aware that she was in no condition to fight anymore. However, she made a promise to a certain someone, and she intended to keep it, however bad the consequences were. Not to mention that she had prepared for an event like this many, many years ago. The object that they sought was long gone, by now.

With a dry smile, the steel and rock type gave her opponent a smug look. "Well, unfortunately for you, it's already out of your reach. I anticipated your coming here, and so I prepared accordingly. You won't get it, now."

The aggron watched as her opponent's expression turned from disbelief, to outrage. "You… You are lying!" He suddenly turned to the others under his command, and glared at them, causing them all to flinch.

"Don't just stand there, idiots!" he snarled, lashing his tail back and forth in a fury. "Search the place! I don't care what you have to do, but find that orb! Rip and tear everything apart if you have to!" Turning back to his defeated opponent, he took a threatening step towards her.

"You are going to tell me_ everything_," he growled out slowly, his voice menacing and dark. "Otherwise, I will personally send you to hell." Much to his surprise, the steel and rock type simply allowed her smile to grow even larger.

"So you say," she replied nonchalantly, directing her gaze to the cave ceiling. "Well, that's too bad, but I'm afraid I can't stick around any longer; terribly sorry." Without warning, the aggron then turned and smashed her thick tail into the wall behind her, causing the entire cave to tremble violently. Shortly after, the crackling of electricity could be heard as four magneton appeared, emerging from the shadows. A bright light suddenly illuminated the cave, causing all the invading pokemon to turn away to shield their eyes from the blinding light, and when they turned back to look at their captive, she was gone without a trace.

"… Damn it…"

**That's the prologue, guys! What did all of you think of that? Can you guess what's coming? What do all of you think of the characters? Let me know!**

**Want me to write the next chapter? I get my motivation from your reviews, so please do!**


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